Help avoiding scorched back when heat treating?

[Badger]

  Same as Mike and Pappy, I scorched a few before I got around to building the narrower caul. I always heat the entire limb in long passes just going back and forth. It takes me about 6 seconds for one pass and I make about 200 passes, comes out to about 20 min per limb. I think it is a bit faster because I can hold the heat gun closer if I am doing a larger area and keep it moving. I never go for a toasted look but rather a specific smell and slight darkening of the wood.

[upstatenybowyer]

With the help of all your insight, I narrowed my caul, sanded it down and revised my approach to using the heat gun. No scorching! Thanks as always for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience!

[BowEd]

Like Mike and pappy.I even make narrower duplicates of your static bend forms.I steam bend most statics.Then I temper them after they cool and dry.I'm one who will stand there holding it 4" away in one spot moving very slowly according to the color for a nice even treatment.A 3" c clamps' height is just right at 4" tall for a reference.Correcting propellers/whoopteedoos/ and balancing profiles of limbs are on your standard 1.5" wide forms.Every great now and then a little edge over browning occurs but nothing bad.